Medellin Nightlife
I’ve been living in Medellin for several months now, and while it’s an interesting city, full of friendly people, organized, fairly secure, one thing that I cannot fully get over is the nightlife. Let me explain.
A year ago today, I was happily living in Rio de Janeiro. I lived in Rio for 2 years, during the time I absorbed Brazilian culture, learned Português and trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was also the time in my life that I put it in the most energy into going out. Of course, I went out before, but in Rio it became my religion; I was ruthless about going out and seducing my prey as much as possible.
New vocabulary entered my world: hunting, pulling, pegação, fica mais tempo. My body language changed, and my whole world revolved around the hunt. Hunting those that wanted to be hunted. And boy did the girls loved to be hunted; they loved to be chased and eventually submit to the hunter. The hunter always won.
Fast forward to present day when I arrived in Medellin after spending several months in the States. Although I softened a bit after being in the States, which is prudent; as some of things that are acceptable in Brazil would probably result in a 911 call in the States, I hit the ground running and was ready to go out again.
My first night was cruising Parque Lleras with a couple of friends. Parque Lleras is a nice, albeit small, park where locals hang out before hitting the bars and clubs. It’s great for getting warmed up for the night ahead. Having been to Lapa (the main nightlife/street party area in Rio) tons of times in my life, I felt at ease mingling with various people.
The next day, an American who’s been living in Medellin for a while took me to one of his favorites hangouts near Parque Lleras. It was your typical bar with a long table surrounded by various chairs and tables with sufficient space to dance without leaving your table.
What struck me immediately is how closed off everyone was. Everyone was in medium to large sized groups mingling among themselves. When it came time to dance, people just revolved around the table, pretty much preventing others from encroaching on their personal space.
Eventually some mingling did happen. You either break into a group and figure out who is who, or observe the crowd for a lone wolf female in each group. There are always lone wolfs, which is why it’s important to be strategic about it. A good friend here likes to chill for the first hour, and just observe, then eventually when alcohol gets going, and lone wolf separates from the pack, strike. This has been working well for him.
This past weekend, I went out with a bunch of friends to a recently opened club with an American owner. It was an awesome club, but with even less mingling. Everyone was in big groups completely separated from one another. Fortunately each one of us had dates, so it turned out to be an excellent night. Had you not had the date, you’d been renegaded as a N-th wheel, as there was simply no opportunity for pickup.
If you view nightlife as an extension of culture, then what you get is a society that makes most of its social connections via other means: school, work, friends, etc. It’s definitely a more closed society than Brazil or the United States.
In Brazil everyone is always trying to pickup the opposite sex, whether it’s at a beach, the bars, the street, or the nightlife. At the clubs, the vast majority usually pares up by around 2am (club opens at 10-11pm), so if you get late to the club, you might be solo. In Medellin, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone try to pickup a girl (via a cold approach) in the nighttime. All I keep seeing is groups hanging out and having a good time.
To sum up Medellin’s nightlife:
- Forget nightlife as a time to meet someone. ESPECIALLY if you’ve been to Brazil before hand. Many nights I’d rather stay in and work.
- Meet someone at other times during the day. Try coffeeshops, streets, restaurants. People are friendly and will give out their numbers like candy.
- Guys are very possessive so be careful if you strike up a conversation with a girl without confirming whether she’s single. This was never an issue in Brazil.
- The flip-side of that is if you have a date, you will have an absolute excellent night. Get ready to dance though: girls absolutely love to dance to reggaeton, salsa, etc.
- You can have fun on a budget. I’ve had great nights with lots of drinks and all I spent was an equivalent of two dinners plus drinks in US.
The initial shock is slowly wearing off as I’m trying to give this place the credit its due, and stop making it into something it’s not.
One thing I’ve learned during my time in Brazil is that each city varies drastically from the rest. I still want to explore Cali and the Caribbean Coast to see how they stack up.
Although if I could do it over, I would’ve come here before Brazil.
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Yea, what is up with these Medellin girls? Its like at night most of them are already in their circle and you really gotta have some suave moves to get anywhere. The best times to meet them does seem to be during the day, although getting their phone # can very often mean little.
Good job, man… your post makes me want to go to Brazil. (surprise, surprise…)
Wait till you get to the *cough* other country *cough*
Ah these Colombian women are a tricky bunch. They’re like pistachios… while it may be a little work to break ‘em open, once you penetrate their hard outer shell, there’s a real tasty treat waiting for you inside. Keep hunting my man.
Nice analogy man
All those girls in that pic appear to be surgically enhanced. Did u take it or did u find it? Fake smiles and fake tits (Though I can’t tell with the girl on the left so much)
Pretty fake, indeed.
Great post. This is pretty true of Cali as well…in fact this has been my experience almost everywhere in Colombia. People go out with their friends and more often meet others through friends-of-friends or in other settings outside of the general nightlife. As an expat, I totally agree that this is extremely frustrating because part of living somewhere different is wanting to experience the culture firsthand! I say the best plan is to find some good Colombian friends and go with with their circles of friends….
Agreed. It’s just not an ideal environment for mingling for anyone new to the country.
Colombia has been a very isolated country especially during the conflictive years back in the 80′s and 90′s.
Sorry you didn;t like colombia, but if you’re expecting people to fall on their backs because you’re an American and you’re white and women to fight over you desperate for the pasty gringo like Brazilian women do, in Colombia you’re not gonna get that.
they’re mountain people and proud of their culture…. you take them as they come or you can go back to Brazil where an American is a celebrity.
I visited the US, NY, LA and the people weren’t exactly friendly, the women rather ugly, fake, all with fake blonde hair and enormous fake boobs and of course the fake American princess attitude that goes with it.
NYC’s nightlife BLOWS, a self proclaimed world city in which they stop selling drinks after 2am???? hehehehee and then the people (Americans) are a very racialist narrow minded bunch.
LA, what kind of place you cant even go down the street without needing a car? what a shithole!!!!
I live in Europe now, in a city in switzerland that reminds me of medellin, (Geneva)… and here people are similar, closed to themselves, to their friends…. and no, swiss people dont bend backwards over americans either, so you might not like it.
Colombia is a great country, very underrated and usually looked down upon by a lot of ignorant people… they have the authenticity Americans lack…. I’ve been in US cities the size of Medellin where the only thing to do is grab your car, get out of the depressing shithole suburbia is and then go to the shopping mall where you can look at overweight lard butt females wearing cloths 5times smaller than their actual body size!!! so medellin compared to MOST cities in the US is heaven when it comes to nightlife!
After sticking up for it so hard,I notice you choose not to live in Medellin though..
…or anywhere in Latin America .
Why is that?
American women may be fatter by my God at least they have
brains. 90% of colombian women are prepagoes or prostitutas and you
would have to take extra care of your bodies as what else is there for
you? so don’t pretend your not falling at gringo’s feet because you are.
All over the internet on colombian cupid begging gringro to pay for
taxi’s or your fake boobs, yes we all know Medellin has become the
plastic surgery capital!. And internet webcams.
93% go check it
out facts state high school students there no no English LOL, the worlds
2nd most popular language, as more concerned with getting a gringo or
pimp to buy there phones and material things, than education.
Boobs
for your 15th birthday and the most popular show in history based on
it. What a sad state so please don’t pretend to be innocent little
catholics, go to priest and confession and wash sins away then do it the
next day.
Sin tetas no hay paraíso this is th emost popular show in Colombian history! without tits there’s no paradise. lol
Get off your high and mighty pedal stool!
http://www.mundoanuncio.com/nf…
http://internationalsexguide.i…
easy peasy cheap and sleezy
I wont be replying so jog on.
Like Reply
GREAT REPLY THERE…. but I am Swiss, not Colombian.
And I still take a charming, naive colombian over some american feminist crazy psycho spoiled bitch!
Swiss, sums it up. Maybe the coldest most boring race I have had the pleaseure to work with and “socialize with” are the Mountain Goats (Swiss)..I used to be a trader at 2 Swiss inv banks, bunc of fucking douches… most of you. However, there are plenty of places in NY where one can drink AFTER 2am, like most places in the world you have to know where to go. I have lived in 23 major cities around the world, all continents, except Antarctica, my partner is a 52 yr old NY native and she is an all natural doll, uber successful, very beautiful and sweet
BTW I am Australian. We generally love everyone and of the places I have lived New Yorkers are some of the most genuine.., they just don’t have time for bullshit and spivs like you sunshine.
As for Medellin and other Central and South american towns/cities it is quite hard initially to work out the scene and the people. I just say be yourself and treat people the way you want to be treated. I am very outgoing and go out always by myself and I find plenty of people to befriend or who come to me
I agree with you there!
I enjoyed reading the thread about Colombia and Medellin! Good postings by both of you guys as I enjoy (and like) both of your viewpoints! A book you gotta read is THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY! Written by Von Lars – it’s AWESOME and goes into depth about the American and International Bachelor Lifestyle. Shaken, not stirred…………..!
Wow you pegged it, but there are some good people in Colombia but very hard to find period. As for Colombian woman every one with half a brain knows the real deal, money for fake love “PREPAGO” that is what ii is and will always be for gringos and old guys trying to buy a young womans love! There are good woman in Colombia but most will not date gringos for fear of being labeled a prepago which is a nice word for prostitute!!!
Hey nothing wrong with Colombian women being “prepagos”…….in actuality, I SUPPORT IT 1000%!! There is hope for all men out there….as I am first and foremost a MALE ADVOCATE! American men overseas are normally seen as Rock Stars anyway! So what if a middle-aged or older American businessman wants to go get some young curvy hispanic tail and have no “baby mama drama” that he would have here in the States or in Europe? People are just jealous because those Americans found the new “Fountain of Youth” which is young attractive and available women!
Read the book: THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY! written by Von Lars.
Wow, you really are a hateful person. 90% are prostitutes? Do you speak a second language? What a schmuck
jajajaj i really want to hear If she at least speaks a second language, it seems that she cannot get even informed!
jajajaj ur just fat and smart, but we are beautiful and smart! and try to get veritable info!
is good you are not replying, so you dont write more stupid BS.
Im sorry to correct you about NYC. We drink and party till 4 am Officially and 630 unofficial due to some bars, clubs, hotels and lounges closed their doors and continue partying… just wanted to correct you on that, thank you carry on
I think the writer was talking about how it’s tough enough to approach a women, and harder if she’s with a friend or two, but if she’s with 10+ others that are comprised of other men as well? Who’s going to approach someone in that kind of situation?
Your response shows a lot of biased resentment towards Americans.
I am Colombian, having returned recently from living abroad, an Ithink you are highly mistaken in your observations, and unnecesarily defensive.
The publication is right,
Colombians in general, as part of their customs for it was difficult to find traits of their long forgotten culture, Colombian are prejudice, mistrusting and snobbish, to say the least.
Andreita, let me explain the mistrust issue first.
Though being friendly, Colombians trust noone, except for foolishly lies they choose to believe without hesitation. They have been raised by superiors and leaders with poor moral compasses( church, government, family….u name it), whose only reason to relate with others is with the intention to get something out of you.the colombian people has adopted this attitude smoothly.
Basically, they live in what my professor and Colombian writer calls ‘a predatory attitude’. women only want money and status, nothing else.
let’s move on with prejudice.
being that poverty and social advancement are an nation-wide endemic issue and a limited opportunity, respectively. Colombians have figured out flawed ways to make themselves worth without actually making real efforts for self-improvement. leading them to demean themselves (prostitution 50% or plus of a university female body prepagos or sugadaddy’s their income) or .adopt generic means of interaction
1. oucast everyone.
Back in the states and some south american countries, you can easily find people from different backgrounds of cultural groups mingling together.
such is not the case here in Colombia. I am an educator, and it pains me seeing my students literally unable to engage ina conversation with others before making crass observations of their cultural incompatability, or tastes, as if that matter on a lesson-driven class. and when they gather in groups, they just do so to talk badly of others.
2. (showing off)
Buy expensive items they can’t afford.
the average Colombian makes less than one-fourth of the necessary income to live decently, but has a Iphone, ipad, nike shoes, motorcycles(all of them have one), items tHAT COST HALF OF THEIR ENTIRE MONTHLY INCOME, plus interest.
while you have up to ten homeless crackeads lying on plain sight in one single street.
3.they make fun of other people and their culture, but barely know their own, while allowing indigenous people lie hungry in the street. This is an exact example of a society that has no idea of where they came from, where they are, and what their culture is. they just do, and for them is enough to call it a culture.
Now, snobbishness.
Like most people around the wolrd, Colombians have absorbed an absurd idea of self worthiness and intellectual development.
Colombians believed that basic staples are a privilege rather than a right.
they pay sometimes ten times more than what they should and they feel pride.
this is due to their lack of cultural development. instead, they simply assimilate, without reasoning, behaviours, beliefs of what they surmised a wealty, high class person would be like. breeding a legion of arrogant assholes.
Men buy cars that do not fit on their streets nor their shambly crook-ridden neigbourhoods. but don’t have a computer or a single book. nd still live at home with their mothers.
3 out of five women have implants, or want to have some work done, and they are deemed as attractive by guys all around the world. that’s not the mind set of a sound person.
as an educator, my students often become embarass to speak in front of others lest it’s with the intention of arguing or putting up drama.
Andrea,
there may be similar cultural flaws among countries, fake breast and apathy,among others, but what makes colombia truly unlikable in addition to their defects, it’s that unlike the UNited states or many other countries, you cannot escape its problems of defects.
in the states they are many cultural groups one can associate with, and many home-grown traditions, here’s only one, drink shitty beer( pilsen, aguila…).
PS: many countries currently suffered from social issues such as racial prejudice, and poor education,
but what’s colombians excuse?
they are racist against blacks, indigenous people and foreigners, though they imitate all their doings.
Education disparity, though all of them are colombians.
you have no real point of comparison
how long ago were you in rio? rio has changed a lot in the last 2 years, since the announcement of the olympics and world cup. the women’s attitude has changed as well, a good friend of mine who has been in rio 2 years just got back from medellin and said the girls were much more approachable, but with a more american or english type of family values. as opposed to rio where they seem to differ a lot from standard american values. he is going back for a while to get some more qualifications but says the way things are he wont be back to rio unless things go back to how they were here a few years ago. right now he prefers medellin.
colombia is different from brazil because colombians are less impressed about Americans or whites in general than Brazilians.
in Colombia if you want to land a good girl with good values, marriage material then you’ll need to work hard, just like you anywhere else…. the gringo white boy fact at times works against you as colombians seem to be attracted mostly to other colombians and unlike Brazil, lighter skin in colombia doesn’t mean wealthier.
As for friendship colombians are nice, but standoffish if they don’t know you, people don’t really open up to you and embrace you like Brazilians do because that’s just not their character! in a way I prefer the way colombians interact because is more authentic, Brazilians are warm open and will call you friend within five minutes but the relationship you create with most of them is very shallow and lacking in real substance, it takes them five minutes to call you friend and it takes them other five minutes to forget about you.
Colombian women: the women are fantastic, I’ve never dated better women than colombianas…. faithful, caring, loving, romantic, feminine!
Brazilians on the other hand, I find it that if you wanna land a good brazilian girl you have to go up the socioeconomic scale where you will deal with classism, sometimes even racism if you’re not white and so on.
I think someone mentioned below that colombians are mountain people like the swiss, I agree, the mountains must close people off.
American women may be fatter by my God at least they have brains. 90% of colombian women are prepagoes or prostitutas and you would have to take extra care of your bodies as what else is there for you? so don’t pretend your not falling at gringo’s feet because you are. All over the internet on colombian cupid begging gringro to pay for taxi’s or your fake boobs, yes we all know Medellin has become the plastic surgery capital!. And internet webcams.
93% go check it out facts state high school students there no no English LOL, the worlds 2nd most popular language, as more concerned with getting a gringo or pimp to buy there phones and material things, than education.
Boobs for your 15th birthday and the most popular show in history based on it. What a sad state so please don’t pretend to be innocent little catholics, go to priest and confession and wash sins away then do it the next day.
Sin tetas no hay paraíso this is th emost popular show in Colombian history! without tits there’s no paradise. lol
Get off your high and mighty pedal stool!
http://www.mundoanuncio.com/nf/Listing/userSearch?kw=prepago&categoryId=18&locationId=12
http://internationalsexguide.info/forum/forumdisplay.php?160-Colombia
easy peasy cheap and sleezy
I wont be replying so jog on.
who cares if you odn’t like my hometown, I don’t like NYC either and personally think is an overrated shithole full of aggressive fat angry subway people.
I lived there for 8 years and you are right.
forgot to add….. if you hate colombia because you were expecting to fall on our arses and kiss your feet because you’re a gringo, then you can hate us all you want.
Most colombians think american women are feminazi spoiled fat asses and american men are complete dorks that have to rely on their bank account to get laid overseas in developing countries because they have as much charm as a funeral!!!
I live in Europe and here they also have that image of you americans
OH I AM FROM NYC…. wow and? I’ve been there and thought it was a shithole, especially when rats the size of a dog pass by you on the subway, next to the screaming lady that is threatening you becuase you glance at her!!!!
bahahahahahaha!!! love it………..the screaming lady who is pissed off because you “glanced” at her……VERY TRUE AMIGO!! HAHA………TYPICAL Amerikan Bitch!!
Well if you like prostitutes come here there is a endless supply and cheap partying and tons of thiefs as added bonus looking to rob and scam gringos, ”TRULY A CHARLIE SHEEN PARADISE” just with a huge danger factor and lower price tag.. Girls here love money and tha is why they love gringos. All the prepagos with gringos must be the money, never seen so many prostitues in one city very sad cause it is like hitting the lotto finding a normal girl here in Medellin Colombia.
A “CHARLIE SHEEN PARADISE” sounds pretty good to me!!!
Grow a pair of balls and have some fun gringo! I think American wives love money too and that is why they are with the gringo men over in Amerika. It is my express goal when I am 60 years old to be an expat and to have a nice young 25 year old sexy curvy chick on my arm because when I am 60 I’ll still be banging her, and most other guys will have a beer belly in America, sitting in the back yard, unable to get it up!
Learn more with the new book: “THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY!” by author Von Lars
let me guess….you’re American?? women don’t always fall over white men so easily. Men in their own country have money too and are as good or better looking….however I still thinkg women in South America are not closed off, on the contrary, I found them extremely open.
Come to Europe and you will know what being closed means!!! even a smile or eye contact may be considered too much…and I’m not even talking about nightclubs.
But I agree, Brazilian women are very open and attractive….a shame more countries can’t be like that!
Also, I have seen this picture countless times on the internet….are they even from Medellin?!? stereotypical picture with fake tits and faces…many girls are not like that! !!
Rio de Janeiro is a great place for beautiful women….even if youre an skinny nerd its great to look at for awhile! ps im not a skinny nerd, but their culture is based so much on physical appearance that you may feel slightly inadequate sometimes, especially on Ipanema beach.
Well I’m a Colombian who lived in NY many years and I can tell you new yorkers are cold. Cold and racists. Besides, they always seem to be angry. Whenever I went to a supermarket I found a female shouting to their kids for some reason. So I supposse you must be from another state. But getting to the point, is truth that Medellín can look like a very closed society, but once you get t0 know someone, you’ll see is just an impression. Truth, in general , people from the andean region tend to be more reserved than people from the atlantic and pacific regions, the so called costenos. As a matter of fact, I cannot bear costenos, they are always making noise, shouting and laughing and bothering people with their loud music. They are very happy people, but I cant tolerate them, they won’t let you sleep.
That pic isn’t of Colombian girls! Those chicks were made famous on the Internet back around 2006 for dreessing like hot cowgirls during FSU Football games (and were caught on tv), they are just former fsu sorority chicks.. Just google FSU Cowgirls and those same 3 pop up… Lol they aren’t from medellin
fuck you all I love thailand and most of asia… where I am a GOD….LOL
jajajajaj who is the one staying you have a brain? and saying 90%colombian women are prostitutes? jajajajaj i think you have no brain to be at least able to get informed!
Most of the things I read hear happens only to americans……as italian I never faced all this problems…..of course, somethimes happens to meet girls trying to get some advantage , but ppl are friendly and nice girls can be found as well.
I’m sorry for the yankees
Yes indeed in Colombia the only way I was able to meet women is when I made friends with guys who were working at the hotels I stayed at. If you get someone to intruduce you to girls then once you talk with them and if they like you it´s pretty easy to bang em. But at the clubs if you don´t take a date with you you are going to be alone all night. Even the local guys don´t try to hook up. It´s weird.
That’s very true, Bill.
You can pretty much forget nightlife for hooking up.
That’s the same thing that happens in the USA, Europe and elsewhere. People now like “groups of influence”. Most women years ago in the clubs “welcomed” men “being aggressive” and trying to penetrate their “cow circle” on the dance floor or by the bar…… Nowadays, they call guys who hit on them “creepers” and are ready to dial 911 or the equivalent no matter what country you live in. The chicks have become more psychotic and weird…..sometimes, it’s just not worth it. That’s why the American men just hop on a jet like the European guys and fly out where the girls are “more friendly” whether it’s Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, or Argentina or Asia…….It’s hard to “break into that” unless you are “vouched for” and “properly introduced” by other made men which is really THE WAY TO GO……
Read the new book “THE BACHELOR’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY!” by author Von Lars……you’ll learn a lot from this International Man of Mystery.
Man, all these generalizations are killing me! On both sides. I’m an American and been in Medellin for a couple months. While I prefer the charm of say a Mexico, it’s been a great time and every single paisa I have met has been incredibly friendly. It is a bit difficult at times because people go out and groups, but once you meet some locals they’ll show you a great time and introduce you. My spanish isn’t great either but they are patient and try english as I try spanish. Frankly it saddens me that people have such a negative view of Americans.. most of us aren’t arrogan,t, loud, nerdy, lacking in personality or whatever the generalizations are. I think people who say this haven’t met many Americans. I have met people here from many countries and all have been great experiences. Why? Because I don’t define ANYONE by where they were born and raised. I base my decision on the person and am open minded to different ideas, cultures, foods, etc. I invite those who have bashed another country or culture to do the same! The world will be a much better place and that’s a promise.
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